The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-19
Gas and Sentiment.

favor upon GRAMMATIC CRITICISM.
Gas and Sentiment.
To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal
Gas cares little for sentiment as an earth
quake tornado does. 1t obeys law, and
nothing more. A mass meeting with mass of
whereases and resolves moves it. It
cares not fig for editorials or communications.
If you want it, dig for it pipe for it. In either
case it is to money If any one man has
money enough to do this alone, let him; if not,
let two, or ten, hundred join In either case
the party of the furnishing part will be called
monopolist, and the man who buys tine gas will
be- poor downtrodden individual. That Is
always the case.
The scheme of everybody's taking stock in the
enterprise of furnishing gas to the city is plaus-
ible at first sight. but in troops the cold law of
business, and the whole scheme explodes. II is
like mutual insurance companies-frst class I'M
til fire occurs then every body wants to be
in a company that has capital Thirty years
ago the idea of cooperative stores all
the rage. Mechanics and laboring men, lawyers.
doctors and preachers combined against the
grasping merchant and grocer, and co operated,
but in few years they had co-operated the
whole thing to death, and the shoemaker stuck
to his last, and the doctor to his pills. leaving
the merchant to supply calicos and coffees. ber-
ries and radishes at prices that legitimate profits
and unrestrained business laws dictated. Later,
the farmers tried to dispense with the middle
man., and they undertook to play the merchant,
and save extortions; bat the scheme died be-
cause the memorable law of business decreed
that it ought to die
If we ever have natural gas in this city some
body will have to furnish the money, and great
deal of it, and nobody will furnish much and allow
1t to be managed by a mass meeting. What then2
Only one thing is possible. Let US thank
anybody any of men that will
pipe the gas and let us buy it. If it is too high
we can fall back on coal. But what of competi-
tiona That is good thing It is said TO pre-
vent imposition. But does it? Look at our ice
pool. railroad pools and pools generally.
Where is our Citizens Gas Company that, few
years ago, was to bring the old monopoly to its
senses and furnish cheap gasl How about a
dozen or more telegraph companies that were to
do telegraphing at cost Gone, all gone into the
bowels of the Western Union, or into pool
Now that is the law of business and no statu-
tory law ever did or ever abrogate it, or very
materially modify it. 1t may at times work
local hardships, but in the end the law of bust
ness asserts its supremacy and evens up the ap-
parent inequalities. Look at the Standard Oil
Company. 1t has gobbled I'D all little companies
and controls hundreds of millions of dollars but
oil never furnished cheaper or better to
the consumer. Look at the great railroad
systems Somebody controls thousands of
miles, and handles millions of money but the
commerce and travel of the country got along
better when let alone than it has since Congress
undertook to boss it by arbitrary rules in con-
fict with the natural and inexorable law of
business. So IN this gas matter and all similar
matters Let every man and every company
have equal chance to dig or pipe. or both,
and then let the law of supply and demand reg
ulate the prices. as it will under any and all cir
cumstances in the end anyway. =. L. SEE.
Local Option Prohibition, Which?
TO the Editor OF the Indians polls journal:
Isaac FL. Phares. of Fowler, says many good
things in late Journal, but their force is marred
by Misrepresentation of the facts in the case,
which leads him to incorrect conclusions. In the
first place very few. if any. Prob bitionists OPP
pose local option. They do not believe it the
best thing possible. hence like sensible men,
they seek the best There at least $50 90
Prohbtionists in Indiana The liquor-selers
themselves concede this, while the Prohibition
lists boldly claim it; these by demanding a vote
on the question, those by opposing the vote. OF
these less than 10 000--less than one in twenty
hve--last year refused to vote and work for local
option, and of these 10, 900 very many, perhaps
more than one half, would be pleased had the
local option bill which passed the House become
pleased is probably too true, but their number is
SO small that we need not take them into the
count.
Mr.. Phares is mistaken when he says a pro-
hibitory law cannot be enforced in Indiana It
was never tried but once, and then 1t
cess For five months not public saloon was
known in Indiana There was liauor sold and
drunk. We have law prohibiting horse-steal-
ing; yet some miscreant stole my horse not long
ago. and others have suffered in like manner
yet the law is enforced. Prohibition is not to be
enforced as a party measure The success of
our police under the regime in closing the
Sunday saloons with the merest pretexs of a
law is pledge that prohibition would be en-
forced IN 1ndlans polls as thoroughly the law
against larceny or burglary is enforced, and
there is no nook corner of Indiana in which
local option would fare any better.
The bulk Of the Prohibitionists of Indiana
will never advocate local option or high license
as the perfection OF legislation. but they will
help to secure and enforce anything that prom
ises even the least relief if they are not bounded
down by the local-optionists and the like. Go
on with your local option. and we will help you
# you will let US look beyond, but if not, not.
There were tens of thousands of brave men
who helped to take Vicksburg because they
thought it lay in the road to Richmond who
would not have fired gun if they had been told
that Vicksburg was all they were after. There
are 1000 Prohibitionists in Indiana who will
help yon obtain and enforce local option, but you
must not intimate to them that the darker
ners must be abandoned because a mere majority
Of any locality are in favor of whisky Their
hearts are too big for that. They propose to
help the needy well as those who need no help
Less than 10000 of the $50, 900 for prohibition
Or nothing and more than half of these will join
with US in taking Vleksburg if you local option
sts Will, IN good faith. say that you will go with
taking Vicksburg. There is no use of talking, |
The heart of this Nation is for prohibition. The t
vote in Michigan on the most unwise prohibitory |
amendment ever presented-forbiddingt the sale |
hat the tide is irresistible. Out upon that /
,owardice that assumes that prohibitory law /
IAN not be enforced in Indiana That dog never /
lid bite worth cent, but it bites more since |
he late amendments in Kansas, and Iowa, and /
Maine-it cannot get M respectable growl /
wen. Allowing tho 10. 600 prohibition moth /
ngs to amuse themselves they please let the |
40, 600 Prohibitonisrs unite with the $50 900 |
mt saloonists VINO do not believe in prohibition /
t all flor there not 100 900 voters in Indiana
aw at the next Legislature that will put the t
rahc under wholesome bonds at least; then we /
viii on to. Richmond. T.. A. GOODWIN.